Dentsu expands Magnite partnership for CTV advertising

Dentsu announced on July 23, 2025, an expanded strategic partnership with Magnite that will accelerate innovation and performance across the media supply chain throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa. The collaboration integrates Magnite's SpringServe video platform to power dentsu Total TV across multiple EMEA markets, including Spain and the United Kingdom.

According to Magnite, the partnership enables dentsu to curate premium media experiences with greater precision, transparency and scale. The SpringServe video platform provides more efficient, data-rich connections to inventory across video and connected television formats. Magnite reported this development positions dentsu to support its ambition to lead in what the companies term the "Algorithmic Era" of advertising.

The announcement comes as Magnite dominates the CTV market with 99% supply coverage according to independent analysis. The advertising technology company has established direct relationships with major media owners including Disney and Netflix, while maintaining preferred integrations with over 90% of its CTV supply partners.

Julie Selman, SVP, Head of EMEA at Magnite, stated the partnership demonstrates how technology and collaboration can unlock real value. "We're proud to support dentsu's vision for the future by providing the tools and insights needed to deliver stronger results and a more efficient media experience for clients and publishers alike," according to the announcement.

Ben Angove, President, Amplifi EMEA & Chief Strategy Officer, Amplifi Global at dentsu, emphasized the technological requirements of modern advertising. "In this new era of advertising, media must work harder, smarter and faster," Angove stated. "At dentsu, we are committed to building Next Gen media solutions in partnership with best-in-class technologies that ultimately enable our clients to win and grow in the Algorithmic Era."

Technical infrastructure deployment

The partnership deploys Magnite's SpringServe video platform across dentsu's operations in multiple European markets. SpringServe combines ad server and supply-side platform capabilities, providing unified access to connected television inventory. According to previous Magnite announcements, the platform enables buyers to connect to 99% of US streaming supply.

Magnite's technology helps dentsu move beyond transactional media buying toward curated, high-performance approaches. The collaboration provides greater visibility and control of media purchases, enabling intelligent decision-making across the media ecosystem. Publishers and advertisers benefit from real-time optimization capabilities embedded within the SpringServe infrastructure.

The SpringServe platform addresses common operational challenges in streaming advertising technology. These include complex workflow management, inconsistent reporting across platforms, and fragmented inventory access. The unified platform reduces layers between buyers and sellers while maintaining sophisticated ad decisioning capabilities.

Strategic positioning in CTV growth

Connected television advertising has emerged as a primary growth driver for advertising technology companies. Magnite reported strong Q1 2025 results with CTV contribution excluding traffic acquisition costs reaching between $70 million and $72 million. The company's agency marketplaces powered by ClearLine product have attracted aggressive participation from GroupM, Horizon, and Dentsu.

The expanded partnership positions dentsu to capitalize on streaming advertising growth across European markets. Connected television offers television advertising that is more targetable and measurable compared to traditional linear approaches. This accountability proves valuable during economically uncertain periods when advertisers seek demonstrable return on investment.

Magnite maintains relationships with major streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney, Roku, and Warner Bros. Discovery. These partnerships enable access to premium inventory while providing advanced targeting capabilities. The company's neural network and machine learning systems contribute to cost-effective infrastructure scaling across data centers and cloud environments.

Market implications for advertising professionals

The partnership reflects broader consolidation trends within the advertising technology sector. Major holding companies increasingly seek comprehensive technology platforms rather than managing multiple point solutions. Dentsu's integration with Magnite's SpringServe platform provides unified access to premium CTV inventory across fragmented European markets.

Marketing professionals gain access to enhanced targeting precision through the collaboration. The SpringServe platform enables contextual advertising delivery while maintaining programmatic efficiency requirements. Publishers benefit from improved yield optimization through unified inventory management capabilities.

The partnership addresses fundamental challenges in European CTV advertising. These include inventory fragmentation across multiple platforms, inconsistent measurement standards, and complex relationship management with diverse media owners. Magnite's direct publisher relationships provide standardized access to premium inventory while maintaining brand safety requirements.

Industry experts anticipate continued growth in programmatic CTV advertising as traditional television budgets migrate to streaming platforms. The elimination of third-party cookies and restrictions on device-level tracking create demand for contextual targeting approaches that do not depend on individual user identification.

Financial and operational benefits

The collaboration enables dentsu to optimize campaign performance through automated decisioning capabilities. Magnite's technology provides real-time analysis of available inventory while maintaining cost efficiency standards. Publishers receive enhanced yield management through unified platform access to multiple demand sources.

Magnite's financial performance demonstrates the viability of independent supply-side platforms. The company reported contribution excluding traffic acquisition costs of $149.4 million in Q3 2024, representing 12% year-over-year growth. Connected television drove 23% year-over-year increase in CTV contribution during the same period.

The SpringServe platform reduces operational complexity for dentsu's media planning teams. Unified reporting provides comprehensive campaign analytics across previously separate systems. Publishers benefit from streamlined inventory management while maintaining control over pricing and audience targeting parameters.

Technology advancement and future outlook

Magnite has invested in artificial intelligence capabilities throughout its platform portfolio. The company's AI-powered audience discovery feature within the curator product has gained market traction since launching. Large language models enhance supply addressability, particularly in CTV environments, with additional capabilities expected across coming quarters.

The partnership enables dentsu to leverage first-party data more effectively across CTV campaigns. Publishers provide content signals and audience insights that enhance targeting precision while maintaining privacy compliance. The SpringServe platform supports multiple data integration approaches without requiring complex technical implementations.

Connected television advertising continues evolving toward biddable programmatic approaches. This transition creates improved economics for both advertisers and publishers while maintaining premium content quality standards. Magnite's technology infrastructure supports this evolution through unified access to diverse inventory sources.

The expanded partnership positions both companies for continued growth in the European advertising market. Dentsu gains access to comprehensive CTV technology capabilities while Magnite strengthens its position across key European territories. The collaboration demonstrates how strategic partnerships can address market fragmentation while maintaining operational efficiency.

Timeline

• July 23, 2025: Dentsu announces expanded partnership with Magnite to streamline CTV and video activation across EMEA markets
• June 13, 2025: Criteo partners with dentsu for global commerce media expansion marking first deployment of complete Commerce Media Platform
• May 10, 2025: Magnite hits growth targets as CTV thrives with agency marketplaces powered by ClearLine attracting GroupM, Horizon, and Dentsu
• May 2, 2025: Magnite announces next generation SpringServe platform combining ad server with SSP capabilities
• March 9, 2025: Magnite dominates CTV market with 99% supply coverage according to independent Jounce analysis
• January 16, 2025: Criteo names former Dentsu executive as CEO amid retail media transformation

Summary

Who: Dentsu, the global advertising agency holding company, and Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, expanded their strategic partnership across EMEA markets.

What: The partnership integrates Magnite's SpringServe video platform into dentsu Total TV operations to provide more efficient, data-rich connections to inventory for video and connected television advertising campaigns.

When: The expanded partnership was announced on July 23, 2025, with implementation across multiple EMEA markets including Spain and the United Kingdom.

Where: The collaboration spans Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, building on existing relationships while expanding into new territories through Magnite's SpringServe technology infrastructure.

Why: The partnership enables dentsu to lead in the "Algorithmic Era" of advertising where interoperability, automation and outcome-driven planning are essential for competing in the evolving media landscape, while providing greater transparency, precision and scale for premium media experiences.